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Hillsborough school district, union agree to avoid furloughs

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By LINDSAY PETERSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 9, 2009

TAMPA - Hillsborough County school officials and the teacher's union agreed that the district will not use furloughs to try to balance its budget — at least not for now.

In contract talks that ended today, the two parties agreed that if the budget outlook gets worse, the two sides will meet after the end of the first semester to reconsider the furlough question. The district had wanted employees to take two or three furlough days.

"And if the economic picture is brighter, we will also look at the possibility of a bonus or half-year steps or something like that. But we're not real optimistic that that is going to happen," said Yvonne Lyons, the executive director of the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association.

As it is, the district still has to cut the budget by $11 million.

Teachers will get no raises in the coming school year. "We exhausted every avenue….It was just not to be," Lyons said. But they will get more planning time with the addition of five early release days to the nine they already get. On those days, classes end two hours early.

The negotiators also agreed that the district will use its stimulus money for teachers and aides who volunteer for training, starting in August. Teachers will get $23.25 per hour; aides will get $11.

And they agreed to close all schools and district offices for the week of Thanksgiving.

Reporter Lindsay Peterson can be reached at (813) 259-7834.

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